Reach for God's Perfect Righteousness
The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 5:33-48
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - April 23, 2013
(Revised January 22, 2021)
BACKGROUND:
*Please open your Bibles to Matthew 5:33. Tonight, we will continue to study the Lord's Sermon on the Mount. We still have a long way to go because this one sermon fills three chapters in Matthew's Gospel. And don't know exactly where Jesus preached this sermon, but John Phillips said it "seems to have been delivered on the slopes above Capernaum."
*Then Phillips explained that "the enormous crowds attracted to Jesus by His miracles followed Him up the mountainside. They were in for a shock, for the kind of kingdom He was about to describe had never entered their wildest dreams. Following the custom of Jewish teachers, Jesus sat down and began to speak. The sermon was directed to His disciples, but it was heard by all.
*His words rang out with heavenly authority totally absent in the petty ramblings of the rabbis. He spoke truths that soared far above anything those people had ever heard." (1)
*This sermon is a Kingdom sermon given by the King of Kings. William MacDonald explained that here King Jesus "summarized the character and conduct expected of His subjects . . . It was meant for all, past, present, or future, who acknowledge Christ as King." (2)
*In tonight's Scripture, Jesus continues to call us up to God's highest standards in life. Please think about that as we read Matthew 5:33-48.
MESSAGE:
*When Randy Hawkins was in his 40's, he played softball on a team with a lot of younger men. During one game, Randy was playing third base when a line drive was hit right over his head. He jumped as high as he could, but couldn't quite get a glove on it.
*At the end of the inning, when everyone was heading to the dugout, the left fielder caught up with Randy. Randy's friend held up his thumb and first finger a couple of inches apart. And he said, "That much."
*The older third baseman replied: "I know, I almost had it!" But his younger friend laughed and replied, "No, I mean that's how far you got off the ground." (3)
*When it came to softball, Randy Hawkins needed to go higher. AND WHEN IT COMES TO OUR SPIRITUAL LIVES, WE ALL NEED TO GO HIGHER. Here Jesus continues to call us up to God's highest standards in life.
1. FIRST: ALWAYS BE BELIEVABLE.
*The Lord set this standard for us in vs. 33-37. Here Jesus said:
33. "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'
34. But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne;
35. nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
36. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.
37. But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."
*Some people believe that this is a command against ever taking an oath. But Matthew Rogers gave some important background information on this subject. He pointed out that oaths were commonly abused in Jesus' day. So, to protect God's name against oath-breaking, the Jews introduced other things by which to swear.
*"People's attention had gotten shifted away from the vow itself to the formula used when making it, so Jewish teachers had a tough job on their hands. When there was a dispute over keeping your word, it was up to them to determine which oaths were actually binding as allusions to God's name.
*The more closely an oath related to God's name, the more binding it was. You didn't have to be so particular about keeping vows in which God's name had not been used. Some people thought it was harmless to deceive if they swore oaths by something like their right hand. Swearing by heaven and earth was not binding, nor was swearing by Jerusalem. However, if you swore toward Jerusalem, then you had to keep your vow."
*Matthew Rogers also said, "Remember when we were kids and made a promise? Sometimes we would say, 'Cross my heart and hope to die; stick a needle in my eye.'" (4)
*Well, did anyone ever stick a needle in your eye? -- No, of course not, because we didn't really mean it. And most everybody knew that you didn't have to keep a promise if you had your fingers crossed. That's about how casual the adults were about oaths in Jesus' day.
*And the point of all of this is what Jesus said in vs. 37: "Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one." In other words, let your speech always be sincere. Live a life of integrity. Be consistent in your life and your language.
*That's a lesson our world desperately needs to learn today. An old New York Times article reported that 91% of people regularly don't tell the truth. Twenty percent said they can't get through a single day without premeditated white lies. (4)
*I'm sure it's worse now. And this matters more that we can measure because all healthy relationships are based on trust. Truth also matters because dishonesty ruins our witness with outsiders. Robert Tamasy wrote about a Christian friend who was the general manager for a chain of newspapers.
*One of his responsibilities was setting advertising policies. And at one point he ordered that advertisers who used a Christian symbol or Bible verse on business cards or stationery would be required to pay cash in advance. It sounds like that man was trying to discriminate against Christians, but he wasn't. That man was a Christian too. Why did he start that policy? -- Because the people who used Christian symbols were generally his worst paying accounts. (5)
*God calls us to reach for the highest standards, so always be believable.
2. AND GO BEYOND WHAT IS EXPECTED OF US.
*The Lord set this standard for us in vs. 38-42. Jesus said:
38. "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'
39. But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
40. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
41. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
42. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
*The sky-high standards Jesus set here seem impossibly high for us:
-Don't resist an evil person.
-Don't try to get even. Turn the other cheek.
-When you are sued, give more than they ask.
-Compelled to go a mile? -- Go two.
-Give to anyone who asks.
*In every case, God wants us to go beyond what is expected of us. The reason why is because He wants us to be like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And this is how Jesus lived by when He was here on earth. 1 Peter 2:23 tells us that when Jesus "was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously."
*Now the Lord wants us to live up to the His holy standards. But as we try to live out these verses, we also need to measure them in the light of other Scriptures.
[1] FOR EXAMPLE, THE COMMAND IN VS. 39 IS "NOT TO RESIST AN EVIL PERSON."
*This cannot mean we should never resist evil, because James 4:7 specifically says: "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." In Matthew 18, Jesus also gave us a process to use when we have been mistreated by another Christian.
*In Matthew 18:15-17 Jesus said:
15. "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
16. But if he will not hear you, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'
17. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."
*On top of this, Romans 13:4 tells us that God established earthly governments to protect us and punish people who do wrong. This verse in the New Living Translation says: "The authorities are sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. The authorities are established by God for that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong."
*There are certainly times when evil must be resisted, so we must understand these verses in the light of other Scriptures. But these are still sky-high standards for us. Again in vs. 39, Jesus said: "I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also."
*What does this mean for us? Michael Luke explained that when a right-handed man slaps another man on the right cheek, that's a back-handed slap which was more of an insult rather than a blow intended to injure someone. And one of the ideas here is that we don't try to take revenge when someone tries to insult or humiliate us. (6)
*In 1945, Branch Rickey was the president of the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was also a devoted Christian. That year Rickey made the decision that he was going to integrate major league baseball. But he needed a special man. Branch Rickey needed a man who was not only an outstanding athlete, but was also an outstanding human being.
*He found that man in world-class college athlete Jackie Robinson. Robinson was the first student at UCLA to win varsity letters in four sports: football, basketball, baseball, and track. Jackie Robinson was also a devoted Christian.
*They met for the first time on August 28, 1945. Rickey explained his purpose and the extensive search he had made for the right man. Then, for the next three hours, Rickey began to harass Jackie Robinson the way he was going to be harassed as a player. Rickey acted out the parts of the hostile teammate, the abusive opponent, the insulting fan, and more. He challenged the black man with racial slurs and ugly confrontations.
*Jackie Robinson later wrote, "His acting was so convincing that I found myself chain-gripping my fingers behind my back." But Branch Rickey also read Matthew 5:39 to Jackie Robinson: "If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also."
*Jackie finally responded, "Mr. Rickey, do you want a ballplayer who's afraid to fight back?" Branch Rickey answered, "I want a player with guts enough not to fight back." -- Church: That is the heart of Matthew 5:39. God wants our faith to hold firm in the face of injustice. (7)
[2] NEXT IN VS. 40, WE SEE THE GREEDY SPITEFUL PERSON WHO SUES YOU.
*Here Jesus said, "If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also." The tunic was worn closest to the skin. But the cloak was the outer garment that doubled at night as a blanket.
*To fully understand this, we need to know that Exodus 22 gave every person an absolute right to his cloak, because it was vital to live. And if you took another's cloak as collateral, Mosaic Law required you to give it back before nightfall.
*Jesus is telling us here that we should not demand our rights all the time. Thinking about this, Chuck Swindoll gave the example of 4 rights we often demand:
-"My right to dignity... -- To be treated without insult.
-My right to comfort... -- To cling to what pleases me.
-My right to privacy... -- To do only what I prefer.
-And my right to possessions... -- To keep all I wish."
*Jesus is saying here that we shouldn't focus so much on our rights, but on our responsibilities in His Kingdom. (6)
*I like the way the Message puts vs. 40: "If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back. Gift-wrap your best coat and make a present of it."
[3] NEXT IN VS. 41, JESUS SAID: "WHOEVER COMPELS YOU TO GO ONE MILE, GO WITH HIM TWO."
*You may know that the Roman Empire had a law that gave their soldiers the right to force civilians to carry their equipment. But the limit was a mile. Again, Jesus is telling us to go beyond what is expected of us. And why? Because God wants us to be like our Savior. God wants us to be like Jesus when we are treated unfairly.
[4] NEXT IN VS. 42, JESUS SAID: "GIVE TO HIM WHO ASKS YOU, AND FROM HIM WHO WANTS TO BORROW FROM YOU DO NOT TURN AWAY."
*This is another case where we need to understand the context. We know this because God's Word also instructs us not to give to an able-bodied person who refuses to work. As Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, "For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat."
*At the same time, all Christians should be generous givers, because our God is the most generous giver of all. James 1:17 tells us that "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights." God wants us to know that every good thing we have was given to us by Him, and we can never out-give God.
*Also remember that in Acts 20:35 Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive.'' And we can trust what Jesus tells us in Luke 6:38, "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.''
*In all of these verses, Jesus is telling us to bend over backwards for other people. Go out of your way. Do everything you can do to let Jesus shine through you.
*Amazing things happen when we go beyond what is expected of us. Bill Bouknight told the story of a San Diego police officer named Les Brown. One day he was driving down a new section of interstate and heard an emergency call that someone was dying.
*The address was pretty close, so Les rushed to take the call. Then he noticed that the off-ramp he needed was closed for construction. Les saw a worker on a bulldozer, drove up close, jumped out of his car, and yelled that he needed the ramp for an emergency. The dozer operator instantly scooped up a huge load of dirt and made a way to exit.
*Les then rushed 3 more blocks to the house and saw a woman on a front porch with a child in her arms. The little boy had turned as blue as the sky. Les grabbed the boy, placed him across his knees, and popped him sharply across the back. A button flew out of the boy's mouth and life flowed back in.
*The next morning Les was on the same stretch of interstate. He saw that same bulldozer up ahead and decided to thank the operator for being so helpful the day before. But as soon as that dozer operator saw the police car, he jumped down and started running to the car. When the man got close, he blurted out, "Officer, that baby you saved yesterday was my son." (8)
*Amazing things happen when we go beyond what is expected of us. And God calls us to reach the highest standards, so go beyond what is expected of you.
3. AND MAKE SURE YOU BELONG TO THE FATHER'S FAMILY.
*Verses 43-48 show us why.
43. You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
44. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
45. that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
46. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47. And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
48. Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."
*Next time, Lord willing, we will cover these verses in more detail. But for now, notice in vs. 48 that even though our Heavenly Father is perfectly sinless, the original word for "perfect" here does not necessarily mean "sinless perfection."
*Jesus knew that as long as we are in this world, we will all fall short. Ray Scott explained that this word "perfect" also means "full-grown, mature, complete, working well, fully instructed, and reaching your goal." This same original word in Hebrews 5:14 is translated as "those who are of full age." And in 1 Corinthians 14:20 it's translated as "men" or "mature." (9)
*God wants all of us to be growing into mature followers of Jesus Christ. He wants us to become more like our Heavenly Father every day, but we will never get there in our own strength. We must have Jesus as our Lord and Savior. He is the only person who has ever reached this perfect standard here on earth.
*Michael Luke described it this way: "He was arrested, roughed up, insulted by the police. The authorities spat on Him, blindfolded Him, and slapped Him in the face. Then the Roman soldiers mocked Him by crowning Him with thorns and putting a purple robe on Him, and a weak reed in His hand as a make-believe scepter. They jeered at Him, 'Hail King of the Jews!' Then they scourged Him.
*Jesus had the power to strike them blind, to paralyze their hands, to choke them on their own spit, to condemn them to hell. But, with the divine dignity, He held His peace.
*Again, 1 Peter 2:23 tells us that 'when they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to Him who judges justly.' Jesus prayed, 'Father forgive them.' -- He did not return evil for evil, but silently turned the other cheek. Jesus did all of that for us. (6)
*Then Jesus died on the cross for us, so that our sins could be washed away by His blood, and we could be righteous in His sight. Jesus died so that we could live forever in perfection as part of the family of God. And you will, -- if you receive the risen Christ as your Lord and Savior.
CONCLUSION:
*Trust in the Lord, and He will put you into the Family of God. Then you can really start living like He tells us to live here. Call on the Lord to save you, as we go back to God in prayer.
(1) Adapted from EXPLORING THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW by John Phillips, Kregal Publications, Grand Rapids - "The Setting" - Matthew 5:1-2 - Downloaded to "Bible Study 6" from Olive Tree Bible Software, Inc.
(2) Adapted from BELIEVER'S BIBLE COMMENTARY by William MacDonald - Edited by Arthur Farstad - Thomas Nelson Publishers - Nashville - Copyright 1995 - "The Constitution of the Kingdom" - Matthew 5-7 - Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2000-2019
(3) "Reader's Digest" - September 1998 - p. 85 - Source: "In Other Words" - Summer, 1999 - p. 24 - produced by Dr. Raymond McHenry - www.iows.net
(4) SermonCentral sermon "Simple Truth Telling" by Matthew Rogers - Matthew 5:33-37
(5) SermonCentral sermon "You Can't Fool God" by David Holwick - Acts 5:1-11
(6) Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "Love Your Enemies" by Michael Luke - Matthew 5:38-48
(7) Sources:
-Sermonsearch.com sermon "David, Real Restraint" by Steve Jones - II Samuel 16
-"Turn in the Road" by Dr. Joanne Whitt - April 14, 2013 - Acts 9:1-22 - http://www.togetherweserve.org/turn-in-the-road/#_ednref10
-"Jackie Robinson Breaks Baseball's Color Barrier, 1945," Eyewitness to History, http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/robinson.htm.
-Branch Rickey's account appears in: Mann, Arthur, Branch Rickey, American in Action (1957); Rampersad, Arnold, Jackie Robinson, a Biography (1997).
(8) Sermon.com sermon "A Personal God in an Impersonal World" by Bill Bouknight - Luke 2:1-14 and 15-20
(9) Sources:
-Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "Words of Distinction: Perfect" by Ray Scott - Matthew 5:48
-STRONG'S HEBREW AND GREEK DICTIONARIES - from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance by James Strong, S.T.D., LL.D. - Published in 1890; public domain.
-THAYER'S GREEK DEFINITIONS - Published in 1886, 1889; public domain.
-WORD PICTURES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT by Archibald Thomas (A. T.) Robertson - Published in 1930-1933 - Matthew 5:48
